This invention relates to separating immiscible components from a fluid containing toxic gaseous materials. More particularly, the invention relates to a process and apparatus for controlling operating conditions for separating the immiscible components of such a fluid without requiring fresh air breathing equipment for personnel or contaminating the atmosphere.
Corrugated plate interceptor vessels for separating immiscible components from fluids, particularly aqueous liquid fluids, are well known in the art. In such processes oil is separated from fluids by flowing the fluid through a group of corrugated plates so that the oil accumulates atop the fluid level and is collected until it overflows an adjustable weir plate and is subsequently disposed.
In a conventional corrugated plate interceptor vessel, hereinafter referred to as a CPI vessel or chamber, doors are provided to be opened by an operator during the separation in order to evaluate the vessel's operation. Since the kinds and amounts of immiscible components contained in the incoming fluids to be separated often undergo significant variations, adjustment in the operating parameters are often needed to obtain and maintain a desired degree of separation. With respect to fluids containing toxic components, such as a sour water stream of wash water from a coking process containing particles of coke and/or coal and dissolved or entrained volatile cyanides, ammonia, benzene, and the like, an observation of how the vessel is operating has heretofore required that an operator put on fresh air breathing equipment and, inevitably, caused contamination of the atmosphere when the doors were opened.
Applicant is not aware of any prior art which, in his judgment as one skilled in this particular art, would anticipate or render obvious the present invention. However, for the purpose of fully developing the background of this invention, and establishing the state of requisite art, the following art is set forth: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,394,258; 4,309,285; 3,236,095; 2,692,528; 3,398,023; 3,467,113; 3,725,264; 4,186,094 and 4,399,028.